The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-09-03
THE INDICATIONS.

The Pennsylvania Democracy have just
held a state convention, and in the platform
adopted declare in favor OF such
"a visa and prudent reduction of inter,
nal taxation aud duties on imports as shall
prevent the current unnecessary increase
Of the revenue beyond the needs of the
government"
The Iowa Republicans week ago on
the same subject declared:
ave believe the tariff should be revised
and reduced whenever this policy will al.
low aud the public interest approve"
And three weeks ago the Ohio Demo
cracy declared in favor Of
"Such jud,cious reduction of the pres
ent burdensOme tariff as shall result In pro
ducing n revenue sufficient only to meet
the expenses Of un economical admin!stra-
ton of government &c.
Any ordinary intelligence can perceive
that these three separate declarations In
reference TO the tariff, proceeding from
both the great political parties, mean exact
ly the same thing; that the constant &C.
C union Of 4 surplus revenue Is an un-
necessarySburden upon the taxpayers and
otherwise a great evil, and that to prevent
this accumulation there should he such a
"judicious' reduction of the tariff as will
not--well inluriously affect the industrial
interests of the country.
The only apparent dissonance to this gen,
eral accord, which has seen, indeed,
through the tariff declarations of both the
great parties in state as well as national
conventions for the last decade, Is the re-
cent resolve of the Ohio Republicans, who
demand ahigh protection tariff simply, and
as for reductions of the surplus revenue
they propose to effect that by granting vast
subsidies to build up merchantile marine
and TO other like Indictments to public ex.
travagence, plumber and waste.
The corollary is, as we maintained last
week, that in the coming presidential cam.
palgn, the tariff can not be made practi.
cable issue, all parties in the review favor,
ing such a"judicious" reduction as shall
relieve the public treasury of the danger
Gus burden of vast surplus revenue and
yet shall not injurlCusly affect the indus.
tries of the country,
The tariff being out of the way, the only
other issue the John Sherman convention
of Ohio had to present, but to which the
"brethern' In Pennsylvania and Iowa made
no definite response, was the "bloody shirt"
meaning continued inculcation of hatred
OF the South.
All indications, in short, point in the one
the issues upon which the
battle of 1888 will be fought will be almost
purely personal. The cordial endorsement
of president Cleveland and his administra.
ton and substantial declaration in favor of
his denomination by every democratic con.
ventIon thus far held, leave no doubt that
he will be the Democratic candidate in 1888,
and against him will be pitted John Sher-
man or Jim Blaine, or, II the party is afraid
to take either of them, then some weakling
who will be imam of putty" In their
hands
Now the business of the country and Its
general condition under the present admin
istration, is eminently satisfactory, and the
business men of both parties-classes fam.
Gus always for keeping their eyes open and
seeing things, are thoroughly of the opinion
that Cleveland Is an uncommonly safe per.
son to keep ip the White House for another
four years. Unlike Blaine, who In his
occupancy Of the State Department under
Garfield for but few months came so near